by Ed Somers
May 22, 2006

The nation’s mayors will gather in Las Vegas on June 2-6 for the 74th Annual Conference of Mayors, presided over by Conference President Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill and hosted by Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.

Major issues to be covered include the continuing campaign to save the Community Development Block Grant Program, energy independence, homeland security and law enforcement, telecommunications, eminent domain, immigration, housing and many others.

Arizona Senator John McCain has been confirmed to address the mayors during a Saturday lunch. Other confirmed participants include New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, FEMA Director-Designate David Paulison, Homeland Security Under Secretary George Foresman, and Beijing Mayor Wang Qishan.

Pending invites include: President George W. Bush, Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, Interior Secretary-Designate Dirk Kempthorne, and former Vice President Al Gore.

The policy committees of the Conference will meet on Friday and Saturday to consider new resolutions, which will be presented to the entire membership for consideration on Monday.

There will also be a Health Luncheon on Friday, and a Habitat for Humanity Home Build first thing that morning.

O’Neill has refined the agenda for Las Vegas to create more focused plenary sessions and more time for best practice discussions and the sharing of information among mayors. On Friday afternoon there will be three concurrent sessions on:

• Poverty, Work and Opportunity

• Energy and Environment

• Exploited and Missing Children

The Mayors and Business Leaders breakfast on Saturday morning will be an interactive discussion on key issues facing both the public and private sectors.

And the Monday lunch will be for mayors only to discuss best practices and challenges facing their cities.

• New Mayors Orientation

• Tasers Workshop

• Community Trees Task Force

• Urban Water Council

• Hunger and Homelessness Task Force

• Women Mayors Meeting

• Avian Flu Workshop

• Homeland Security Task Force

• Vacant and Abandoned Properties Task Force

• Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Task Force

• Transportation Infrastructure Workshop

• Eminent Domain Workshop

• Sustainable Development Task Force

• Council for the New American City

The conference will present its 27th City Livability Awards at a luncheon on Saturday.

The USCM/DuPont partnership will be awarding a total of $375,000 to three cities for the 2006 Lead-Safe…For Kids’ Sake Grant Program on Saturday.

On Sunday, $200,000 will be given out to four cities for Excellence in Community Trees Awards supported by the Home Depot Foundation.

And on Monday, $50,000 will be given out to a total of three cities for Dollar Wi$e Capacity Grants supported by Countrywide Financial Corporation.

Host Mayor Goodman is arranging a series of wonderful social events which include:

• Friday evening welcoming reception at Paris Hotel

• Saturday “Oscar’s Night” at Bellagio Hotel

• Sunday informal lunch at Paris Hotel

• Sunday afternoon Cirque Du Soleil at Mirage Resort, featuring the musical legacy of the Beatles, followed by a Party at Jet Nightclub

• Sunday evening Viva Las Vegas on Fremont Street

• Monday Hot Tropical Nights at Red Rock Resort

There will also be traveling workshops on Monday afternoon:

• Regional Justice Center

• World Market Center

• Sprint – America’s Cities Prepared

More information on these events, as well as spouse and children events, can be obtained by going to usmayors.org.

There will be a special celebration on Sunday evening at 8:00pm honoring outgoing President O’Neill and President-Elect Dearborn (MI) Mayor Michael A. Guido.

Then on Tuesday morning there will be an Inaugural Breakfast honoring Guido, during which the new officers of the Conference will be installed.

A detailed draft agenda for the meeting is available at usmayors.org. Registration information for mayors can be obtained by calling Carol Edwards at 202-293-7330.